The Misery Tax

An ad hoc form of expenditure wherein an unhappy worker feels compelled to spend a proportion of their wages on things that allow them to continue to function and work: sugary food, caffeine, alcohol & ‘retail therapy’.

If you don’t like the job you work or the life you are living you will spend more of your disposable income either during work hours or immediately afterwards on things to cheer you up.

This compensatory spending drains your resources, which diminishes your ability to save and thus means you become increasingly stuck in the job. A vicious circle.